Assembling-machine.



0. ASHTON.

ASSEMBLING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0:11226, 1910.

1, 1 1 0,808, Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

THE MORRIS PETERS C0.. PHOTO-LITHQ, wASHlNCmN. uA C UNITED sTATEsPATENT OFFICE.

OERELL ASHTON, OE swAivIrsCoTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSICNOHTOVUNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, or PATERsON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OE NEW JERSEY.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ORRELL ASHTON, a Citizen of the United States, residing at Swampscott, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Assembling-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters On the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for assembling parts of boots or shoes and for convenience is herein described and shown as applied to a machinelof the type disclosed in U. S. application Serial No. 585,111 filed @ct'ober 3, 1910, although it should be understood that in practice the application of theinvention is not limited to the particular machine referred to but that the invention maybe embodied in a variety of other Speciic constructions. f y

In assembling machines as heretofore known and constructed, it has been customary to drive a` tack or rother fastener by suitable automatic mechanism inthe rear face of ashoe mounted upon a last. In some classes of work, especially where the cone of the last` is quite thin, this fastening is frequently inserted in a horizontal, or nearly horizontal, direction at an oblique angle to the median longitudinal line of the last, the point at which the'fastening enters the shoe being displaced, somewhat toone side of the median linejof the heel. Under such conditions it has sometimes-been found Ythat the fastening or tack thus inserted did not hold the shoe as securely as desired against twisting and displacement of the back seam laterally during subsequent operations.. kThis difticultyhas been especially apparent in operating upon shoes of the OX- ford style.

An object of the present invention accordingly consists in the production of improved mechanism for securing the rear portion of an assembled upper, counter and lining to a last in proper symmetrical relation thereto and `in such a manner as to eliminate any danger of displacement during Subsequent operations upon theshoel yPreferably this resultvis eected by inserting two-fastenings through thev rea-r faceof the shoe into the last V and itis at present considered that the most` AssEMELING-MACHINE.

specification of Letters Patent; Patented Sept 159 1914 Application med october 26, 1910. senai No. 589,206,

eifective position fork the fastenings is to insert one near the cone of theV last and another displaced therefrom inthe direction of the height of the last .and near the sole.

. By this arrangement of fastenings twist and lateral displacement of the assembled shoe at or near the heel of the last is effectively prevented. o v f In the embodiment of the invention to be herein specifically described and illustrated, the mechanism forinserting a plurality of fastenings comprises a double tackk driver comprising two drivers spaced vertically with relation to each othermounted upon a single'driver bar whichin turn is actuated by any suitable driver arm or other device. 'While the drivers are shown as mounted uponya single bar it should be understood that this is not essential to the invention but that any suitable means of supporting and actuating the drivers may be employed.

In practical Operation itis often desired to insert a fastening or fastenings in the rear face of a shoe as above outlined at any of a plurality of points at different heights with respect to the last'or slice mounted thereon.

Another feature of the present invention accordingly 4consists in the provisionof suitable .means for effecting vertical adjustment of the'fastening inserting devices and for insuring that the endsfof the tack nozzles or parts of the fastening inserting devices corresponding thereto shall be maintained in` close proximity to the rear face yof the shoe. Lasts asordinarily employed have considerable vertical curvature at their heel portions and in the present embodiment of the invention the tack drivers are mounted in such a manner as to be Capable of vertical adjustment in a curve approximating the vertical `curvature of the rear face of the last. This is particularly desirable when two or more tack nozzles in rigid relation to eachother are "employed, inasmuch as under such circumstances if the adjustment were made in a straight line there would be only one adjustment at which both tack nozzles'would be close to the curved rear face of the shoe. The advantages obtained byadjusting the tacky driver in a path conforming to the curvature ofthe rear face of the shoe are not peculiar to aconstruction in which a plurality of driversare used but are also incident to a construction employing a single driver, in which case the tack nozzle follows closely the rear face of the shoe in all positions of adjustment.

The drawing shows in side elevation a preferred form of the invention as applied to an assembling machine.

Upon the base or pillar 10 is mounted a swinging table 12 carrying a head 14. A driver bar support 16 is carried by the head 14 in such a manner as to permit of vertical adjustment of said support upon the head. To this end a curved slot 18 is preferably formed in the head and a projecting portion of the driver bar support 16 is guided in said slot. A suitable clamping bolt 20 operated by a handle or wrench 22 serves to secure the driver bar support at its adjusted height.

-At the forward end of the support 16 is mounted a double tack nozzle 24, 26. In driver passages in the nozzles 24, 26 are guided drivers for inserting tacks or other fastenings in the rear face Vof the shoe 28. The drivers are preferably mounted in a reciprocable driver bar 30 guided in the support 16. Passageways 32, 34 receive tack strips of well-known type.

'The shoe 28 being inserted between the side wipers 36 engages with its rear face the tack nozzles 24, 26. The driver bar 30 is suitably actuated as by a driver arm 38 having a yielding connect-ion 40 with the driver bar. The connection 40 comprises a link which permits vertical adjustment of the head 42 of the driver bar 30 while maintaining the said head in engagement with the face of the driver arm 38. The curvature of the slot 18 is preferably such as to cause the path of movement of the tack nozzles 24, 26 to conform to the curvature of the rear face of an ordinary last. Tov this end it has been found desirable to make the curvature of the slot a mean bet-Ween the curvature of the rear face of the last having the greatest curvature which it is expected to use and the rear face of the last having the least curvature which it is expected to use. The fastening inserting devices thus follow almost perfectly the average last and follow extreme lasts nearly enough for all practical purposes.

Since the rear face of that portion of a shoe being operated upon by the fastening inserting devices is always convex, the concavity of the curve of the slot 18 faces the last. In other words the curved slot is practically concentric with the rear face of the last.

`While in thev specific embodiment of the invention herein shown and described as constituting the preferred form of the device the fastening inserting devices are arranged in a vertical plane, it should be understood that such vertical arrangement ofthedrivers, one above the other, is not indispensable and that in its broad aspect the present invention contemplates the insertion of a plurality of fastenings in the rear face of the shoe in any desired relation to each other;

While the tack nozzles are herein illustrated as rigid with relation to each other, the invention is not limited to the use of such a rigid arrangement but contemplates any mechanical expedients whereby a plurality of tack nozzles or other equivalent devices may be moved along the rear face of a shoe and all be maintained always close to the face of the shoe.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of an upright last support, a last, and a double tack driver located with relation to` said last in position to drive two tacks into the rear face of a shoe mounted on the last, said double tack driver being adjustable as to height in a curved path conforming approximately to the shape of the rear face of the shoe.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a last, and a double tack driver located with relation to said lastin position to drive two tacks into the rear face of a shoe mounted on the last, said double tack driver being adjustable in the direction of the height of the last in a curved path, the concavity of which faces the last.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a last, and fastening inserting mechanism comprising two tack nozzles spaced apart in the direction of the height of the last andadjustable in the direction of the height of the last in paths conforming approximately to the shape of the rear face of the last.

4. In a machine for assembling parts of boots or shoes, the combination of a last and means for simultaneously inserting a plurality of fastenings in the rear face of a shoe mounted upon said last, said fastening inserting means being adjustable relatively to the last in a vertically curved path.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a last and a pair of rigidly connected tack nozzles mounted for simultaneous vertical and horizontal movements of adjustment relative to said last.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a last, and means for inserting a fastening in the rear face of a shoe sustained upon said last, said fastening inserting means being adjustable in the direction of the height of the last in a curved path conforming approximately to the curvature of the adjacent portion of the last.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a last, and fastening inserting mechanism comprising two rigidly connected tack nozzles spaced apart and adjustable with respect to the last in paths conforming approximately to the contour of the curved face of the last. Y

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a last, a pair of rigidly connected fastening inserting devices and adjusting means for said devices permitting displacement thereof in two directions in a plane normal to the adjacent surface of the last, whereby both of said devices may be brought into engagement with the work carried by said last in all positions of adjustment of said` devices. v

9. In a machine of the class described, the

work conforming to said curved face in all o positions of adjustment of said devices.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

u ORRELL ASHTON. Witnesses JAMES O. WRIGHT, ARTHUR L. RUSSELL.

Copies of thispatent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

